The invention relates to the discovery and asexual propagation of a new and distinct variety of kiwifruit, Actinidia chinensis cv. ‘Hort22D’, as herein described and illustrated. The new kiwifruit variety ‘Hort22D’ was selected from a population of seedlings derived from crossing two unpatented kiwifruit selections CK51-06 (unpatented), the female parent, and CK51-11 (unpatented), the male parent, in the course of a planned kiwifruit variety breeding program. The cross was made in October 1996 at Te Puke, Bay of Plenty, New Zealand. The new variety was selected as 52.13.22D (breeder reference) and has been named ‘Hort22D’.
The new kiwifruit variety ‘Hort22D’ may be distinguished from presently available Actinida chinensis cultivars by the following distinguishing characteristics. The fruit of the new kiwifruit variety ‘Hort22D’ matures earlier than the fruit of ‘Hort16A’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 11,066). The new kiwifruit variety ‘Hort22D’ produces much sweeter fruit having a strong expression of red color in the flesh.
The new kiwifruit variety ‘Hort22D’ may be distinguished from other presently available kiwifruit varieties featuring red-flesh fruit such as, for example, ‘Hongyang’ (not patented) and ‘Red Princess’ (not patented), by the following distinguishing characteristics. The fruit shape of the new variety ‘Hort22D’ is oblong compared with that of ‘Hongyang’, which is obovoid. The fruit shape at the stylar ends of the new variety ‘Hort22D’ is slightly protruding compared with that of ‘Hongyang’, which is hollow. The fruit of ‘Hort22D’ also matures earlier and is larger in size than those of ‘Hongyang’. Furthermore, the expression of red color in flesh of the new variety ‘Hort22D’ is very strong compared with that of ‘Red Princess’, which is weak. In addition, ‘Hort22D’ is diploid compared with ‘Red Princess’, which is tetraploid. The new kiwifruit variety ‘Hort22D’ may be distinguished from the female (fruiting) parent by the following characteristics: fruit of CK51-06 is more elongated and the red pigment in the flesh is within the locule and has a restricted spread of approximately one third of the locule length, whereas the expression in fruit of the new variety ‘Hort22D’, is developed in approximately 80% of the locule length. Further, the cavity expressed in some fruit of the new variety ‘Hort22D’ does not occur in fruit of CK51-06, and the flowering period for the female parent commences approximately one week prior to that for the new variety, although is similar in duration.
Asexual propagation of the new kiwifruit variety ‘Hort22D’ by grafting shows that the unique combination of characteristics of the variety come true to form and are established and transmitted through succeeding propagation. In order to obtain true-to-type clones of the initial plant, asexually propagated plants were obtained by grafting dormant buds from the original seedling onto rootstocks. The new variety ‘Hort22D’ was first asexually propagated at Te Puke, Bay of Plenty, New Zealand.